The present invention relates to an apparatus and method selectively determining the orientation of dough pieces. More particularly, it relates to the changing of the orientation of dough pieces as desired while they are transferred from a first conveyor onto a second conveyor. Furthermore, the present invention relates to an apparatus and method for producing from a web of dough a plurality of dough pieces of the same orientation to be processed for confectionery, bread and the like and reversing the orientation of any of the rows of dough pieces when they are transferred from one conveyor onto another, while maintaining the orientation of other rows of dough pieces unchanged.
In producing croissants or rolls successively by a forming device, dough pieces usually having a triangular configuration are prepared in advance and thereafter rolled up from the bases of the triangular dough pieces. The operation of preparing dough pieces is usually performed by cutting a broad dough sheet into triangularly shaped pieces.
Conventionally, in order to mass produce dough pieces while minimizing losses of dough, a continuously supplied web of dough is successively cut to provide two kinds of rows containing a plurality of substantially isosceles-triangular pieces of the same size, all of the triangles of each row having the bases aligned either transversely of, or in parallel with, the direction of advancement of the web, the triangles of adjacent rows facing in opposite directions. Therefore, in order to roll up the triangular pieces mechanically and continuously from the bases thereof, it is firstly necessary to reverse the orientation of the rows of dough pieces whose bases are positioned at the trailing end, thereby making the orientation of all the pieces uniform.
Such operation, heretofore, has been carried out by mechanically picking up and turning those pieces which are located on every other row by 180.degree. or 90.degree., as the case may be, with respect to the direction of advancement of the web. The conventional operation, however, has disadvantages in that a high speed operation cannot be performed and furthermore it requires a very complex mechanism.
In the production of buttered rolls, biscuits and similar dough products, dough sheets may be cut into rectangular dough pieces, some of which may be overturned upside down, in the production line, to undergo various processes. In order to accomplish the overturning operation, it becomes necessary, in the conventional methods, to pick up relevant dough pieces, change the orientation and to replace them onto the conveyor on which they are processed. The operation leaves room for improvements.